Introducing Jessica Alyse – With Giveaway!

One of the things I most enjoy as an author is encouraging new contemporary Christian romance authors and introducing them to potential new readers! As such, may I introduce you to author Jessica Alyse!Jessica is giving away one ebook copy of her wonderful debut novella, The Trust Charm, to one reader/visitor to Inspy Romance, so be sure and welcome lovely Jessica and leave a comment to be eligible! Don’t want to wait? Here’s the Amazon link to buy it now!http://amzn.to/1WxhPGr

Jessica Alyse was born a dreamer. She used to tell stories about a bicycle that traveled to the moon and back. Her imagination has always soared beyond the expectations of reality and has brought her to a career in creative fiction. A storyteller, hopeless romantic, and follower of Christ, she encompasses the appropriate traits to create romantic Christian fiction, embellishing every story with southern charm and wholesome love. Her dreams of becoming a professional screenwriter dance through her head each time she sits down to tie together characters and plot.

A Louisiana girl with a heart for Texas, when she’s not writing–or reading the latest thing from Karen Witemeyer–you can find her working on the family farm with her black lab, Axel, practicing for her would-be singing career, or in the event of a football game, cheering for the Green Bay Packers.

Now, here’s the book blurb for Jessica’s book:

After losing her brother-in-law in a fire, Avery Sanders makes a vow to never put her heart on the line for a man with a dangerous career. And then Liam Reed walks into her life and everything is suddenly beautiful in ways she’d never imagined.

When Liam meets Avery at the youth center where he volunteers, the attraction is instant. But then he learns that she won’t date guys with a dangerous profession. So he keeps his career as a cop secret until the time is right. When Avery discovers what he’s been hiding, will she trust God with their future? Or will she let it all slip away when tragedy strikes?

I asked Jessica a few questions (and be sure and read the poignant excerpt below!).

ME: Welcome to Inspy Romance, Jessica!

JESSICA: I’d like to thank Inspy Romance for having me. It’s a privilege to be here!

ME: What ONE quality do you most admire in your heroine, Avery? What about your hero, Liam? Can you give an example of how that quality is revealed/demonstrated in each of them in The Trust Charm?

JESSICA: In Avery, I very much appreciate her independence – although it isn’t always the best thing for her. She’s her own person, witty, and strong-willed. She doesn’t mind standing out and being different from everyone around her. You can see this in the way she’s a little bit of a realist and she gets straight to the point. The entire conflict of the book is that she refuses to date men whose careers are dangerous and she’s more than willing to stand up for that belief in ways that make sense in her own mind. But then again she learns that it isn’t practical to sometimes be so strong and independent that it shuts other people out.

For Liam, his passion won me over. He loves his job, he loves helping and protecting people, and he wants to be a cop more than anything else in the world. And then he meets Avery and he discovers a new love in his life, and although he loves being a cop, he admits that he would be willing to give it up for her because he’s found a new passion.

ME: Liam is in law enforcement, and that is a huge conflict for Avery. Have you known and/or been related to someone in a dangerous line of work? If so, is that what prompted you to write their story? If not, how did you come up with the story line for The Trust Charm?

JESSICA: I do have relatives that work in and around law enforcement, but honestly the idea for The Trust Charm stemmed from my own fears and desires. It’s no secret that I’m a dreamer and a hopeless romantic, so growing up I would dream about my future husband, what he would be like, where he would live, what his career would be, and it crossed my mind that he could potentially be a soldier or a cop or a firefighter. And with those jobs come risks and sacrifices. As a teenager it worried me that I could potentially marry a man that would be willing to lay down his life because it’s his duty. Then Jesus taught me over time that it’s not my job to worry, it’s my job to trust. That’s where my idea for The Trust Charm was born. I knew I wanted to write a character whose fears mirrored my own and I knew how it would end, too, because Jesus had already put an end to my own fears. That idea was born in 2011, right around the same time Aaron Shust released his single “My Hope is in You,” and from the first moment I heard that song I knew I wanted it to be the theme song for this novella.

ME: What is the overriding theme in The Trust Charm and what scripture verse(s) is/are the most applicable as a “take away” for readers?

JESSICA: The theme revolves around a choice to trust; trust in God or trust in our own ways. Avery wears a bracelet that has a charm on it that says trust that she touches when she’s feeling stressed or overwhelmed and she only does it because the charm itself has a certain texture on it that is appealing to her fingers. This is symbolic to the theme. There are also subtle subplots that circle back to the theme. Dorinda, a minor character, has issues with trusting herself to raise her grandson after she has to face her own failures as a mother. Liam’s partner, Austin, has a problem with trusting religion, specifically the reality of God, due to a tragic backstory that is revealed in the sequel called The Road to Austin which will be available in 2016.

The one scripture that really stood out to me when it came to The Trust Charm was Isaiah 43:2. “When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when though walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.”This is such a perfect representation, not only for Avery’s story, but for the problems we encounter on a daily basis. It seems like – even as Christians – we feel we’re drowning more often than not, like the waters have overtaken us and we’re doomed. But this scripture clearly tells us that no matter what, God is going to be there to carry us through, to keep our heads above the water even when things seem dark. Isn’t that such a beautiful promise?

ME: It is indeed a beautiful promise (and I absolutely adore Dorinda in your story). I’ll definitely look forward to Austin’s story next year. What are three different or unique things about you (that you’re willing to reveal to readers)?

JESSICA: Oh, boy. These kinds of questions make me nervous. One, I’m passionate about pro football – which isn’t that unique because there are a lot of twenty-something year old women who love their football, but it’s a big part of who I am. The unique part is that I’m a Green Bay Packers girl living in Louisiana. Two, I put mayo on my salad. Or sour cream. I’m not a big fan of salad dressings. That’s unique, right? Three, I’m saving my first kiss for my wedding day. There are a lot of women and girls out there that are saving their first kiss for their husband, but society and the media plays it down, makes it seem less important or uncool. This is something that God put on my heart when I was a teenager, and at the time I thought I was the only girl on earth who choose to do this which made me think I was crazy. But as I got older I realized that I wasn’t the only one. It’s a choice that I’ve struggled with, but haven’t regretted.I can’t wait to see the look on my future husband’s face when I tell him that he was worth the wait.

ME: Tell us about the next book in your series and/or what you’re working on now.

JESSICA: This is my favorite question because I’m super excited about my work in progress. It’s called The Road to Austin and it’s a sequel to The Trust Charm. It focuses on Austin Brooks, who was a minor character, and his journey across the country with a woman who can’t stand him. Both characters find a way to appreciate the other through all of the quirky troubles they overcome like dealing with graffiti vandals, getting left at a gas station, and adopting a dog that stays with them for three states. It’s going to be a romantic drama with a good bit of comedy. Readers can sign up for my newsletter at http://www.jessalyse.com/ for announcements about the release date.

Finally, here’s that promised wonderful excerpt from The Trust Charm:

The doors at the end of the hall clicked as someone came through them.
When Avery looked up, she stopped dead in her tracks. The announcement slid from her fingers and flittered to the floor. “Liam?”
Liam slowly came to a stop, eyes wide, mouth slack. Somehow he looked taller. Broader. Stronger.
He wore a police uniform.
“I can explain,” he said.
She prayed he was joking. Mocking her. Anything.
But she’d seen the other officer outside with the car.
“I can’t believe you…” She couldn’t breathe. The air whooshed out of her. This wasn’t happening.
“Avery, let me explain.”
Her stomach turned upside down. She wanted to run, but her legs were weak. Her chest ached deep down around her heart. Memories from every minute she’d spent with Liam forced themselves to the front of her thoughts and choked her. Every second she thought she knew who he was. “You lied to me.”
He closed the distance between them. Each step fell in line with the drum of her heartbeats. “I never told you I wasn’t a cop. I just didn’t tell you that I was.”
“It’s still a lie.” Her eyes stung. Her heart stung. His deception burned her to the core.
“I should have told you.”
A nervous laugh croaked from her suddenly dry lips. “But you couldn’t find the time?”
“I wanted to tell you—I tried to tell you. Many times. But it seemed like every time I tried, something would come up.”
“Something more important than telling me who you really are?” She turned to leave, her hands shaking.
He caught up with her quick and grabbed her arm.
“You knew.” She pulled away from him. “I told you I don’t date cops. You knew that. You knew why I couldn’t date someone like—”
“I wanted to tell you the truth.”
“Honestly, Liam—”
His radio came on and a voice rattled something off. She watched him as he listened intently, his shoulders straight, his eyebrows low. His focus scanned over her face but didn’t really look at her.
“Officer down,” the dispatcher said.
Avery’s blood ran cold. Her heart tore at her chest.
Liam was stunningly calm. “I’ve got to go. Can I call you later?”
“Don’t bother.”
He didn’t let another second pass before he was gone. The air around her seemed charged, but dull at the same time. Like the calm before the storm.

USA Today bestselling author JoAnn Durgin is the author of over twenty novels since her debut, Awakening (Lewis Legacy Book 1), released in late 2010. Her books include the beloved Lewis Legacy Series, as well as its prequel, Prelude. She is also the author of Catching Serenity, Heart's Design, and Gentle Like the Rain, a sequel to Heart's Design. Other novels include Echoes of Edinburgh, The Wondrous Love Series, Perchance to Dream, and the popular Starlight Christmas Series. Her latest release is The Christmas Challenge and coming up next is Pursuit, the highly anticipated Book 8 in The Lewis Legacy Series. JoAnn lives with her family in her native southern Indiana and now enjoys writing full-time and spending time with her first granddaughter, Amelia Grace. Sharing the hope and joy to be found in a relationship with Christ is her passion, and JoAnn adores writing and reading Christian romance. She loves to hear from her readers via her website or her Author JoAnn Durgin page on FB!

Welcome to the community at Inspy Romance! The authors are so happy to see you. We offer two random commenters a $20 Amazon gift card every month, so don’t be shy! Jump in, and let’s get to know each other.

Comments

I always enjoy learning about new Christian authors. I feel it is important to make quality inspirational books available to readers where we are unashamed to share the scripture and biblical principles within the context of a fictional story. I will uphold you both in prayer that you will remain bold to share your faith and God’s goodness within your books. JoAnn and Jessica, this blog post has been a privilege to read. God bless you both as you write for His glory.
Jessica, you would enjoy reading one of JoAnn’s Christmas novellas, Meet Me Under the Mistletoe.You share something in common with one of the characters.

Thanks for your comment and your encouragement and your faithful support of Christian authors! We need your prayers as we continue to write for His glory. And yes, I’ve mentioned Meet Me Under the Mistletoe to Jessica. She’s read about my Italian Cowboy in Starlight, Star Bright, but I think she needs to go back now and read about Jake and his very personal “vow.” :) Thanks for reinforcing my suggestion. Blessings to you.

Thank you so much for your encouragement and prayers. God has been good to me and brought me so much support through readers and authors. And thank you for mentioning Meet Me Under the Mistletoe! JoAnn and I just talked about that one the other day and I had to go out and buy it. Can’t wait to get started on it!

Thanks for introducing us to Jessica, JoAnn. This is probably one of the most in depth interviews I’ve read in a while. Great job! I work in law enforcement and the excerpt really pulled me in. I look forward to reading your story, Jessica.

You’re more than welcome, Jill. By “in depth,” I know it’s a long interview (smile), but I felt we needed to dedicate the time to Jessica and her book. Since you work in law enforcement, I know you’ll really appreciate and identify with Liam in her story. Blessings.

Jill, thank you so much. Your encouragement means a lot to me. Thanks to Liam (and the research I spent on The Trust Charm) I’ve gained a new perspective and appreciation for our law enforcement. Thank you so much for everything you do. I hope you enjoy Liam and Avery’s story.

Looking forward to reading your first book! And Jessica, while I know that saving the first kiss for marriage isn’t for everybody, I did, and I’m glad I did. Thank you for sharing about yourself and being open about your fears. JoAnn, thank you for introducing Jessica to us!

Hi, Katy. Thank you for sharing your story with me. I don’t get to meet very many women like us and it’s such an encouragement to hear that it was worth the wait. I find it very romantic. You’re so right, saving the first kiss isn’t for everybody; it all depends on what God has put on our hearts. I hope you enjoy The Trust Charm!

Thank you, JoAnn, for introducing Jessica to us!
Wow! Jessica enjoys NFL as much a I do. Great! We can’t have enough hopeless romantics writing Christian romance novels. That’s also refreshing to know.
From what I read, Jessica uses a lot of tiny details. I like that! It makes me feel as if I’m a fly on the wall. So very close to everything that’s happening. Yes! That, in my opinion, pulls the reader in deeply.
This certainly sounds like a fabulous book!!
Thank again, for introducing us.
God bless everyone.

You are most welcome, Delynn, and it’s nice to “see” you here. I certainly agree that we can’t have enough hopeless romantics writing Christian romance novels! I love it. :) And I also agree about those little details that can mean so much and how it puts you “in the moment” in a novel to help the reader better connect with the characters. Many blessings to you.

Thank you so much for the encouragement. I’ve always had a habit of writing details. In high school I never had a problem meeting my word count for research papers, but in college I was asked by a professor to shorten my paper from sixteen pages to fifteen. Oops. :) Thanks for commenting!

I dated a guy–briefly–in college who wanted to work in inner-city crime. At the time I remember shuddering and thinking that I hoped he’d get good life insurance for his family.

I married a pastor who, six years ago, became a part-time police officer. Small town, not nearly so dangerous, but being a cop is never danger free, is it? So I can kinda relate with this here heroine. :)

I felt the same way, Sally. Mainly from hearing tragic stories on the news. And so much like Avery, I’ve learned to trust God and to see that His plans are always higher than mine. During the research of this book, I gained a new respect for police officers that I didn’t have before. I want to thank your husband for his services. I know there are a lot of people in your community that greatly appreciate him being there. Thank you so much for sharing with us.

Here’s a great big howdy, hello and welcome to you Jessica!!! I love meeting some new Inspy Romance bloggers and getting to know them :-)

That being said….wow….another Packer’s fan!! I grew up in Illinois, live on the Oregon coast now but I’ve been a huge fan since Brett Farve was quarterback. My whole family is Bears fan, so we’re always at odds…lol! Secondly, I love that you are staying true to your convictions about saving that first kiss for your husband. Not many women these days do that….oh sure they stay true to the no-sex-till-marriage rule, but the kissing is fine. And I know you already know it will be well worth the wait for the right man, the one God brings you ;-) What a special gift to give each other!

Thanks for telling us about your debut book. It sounds like a great story! I think I’d be a bit leery too about my husband being in a dangerous profession. But you can walk across the street and the Lord would call you home, so it’s really in His hands. We just have to trust Him & if your spouse is in a dangerous job, the best thing you can do, is pray for him/her!

Enjoyed the excerpt & post today! I hope you will feel right at home here Jessica, you’re surrounded by some awesome ladies :-) Blessings!

Trixi, thanks for stopping by Inspy today, as always! We love your positive and encouraging comments. Just to clarify–Jessica is not a new Inspy blogger, but she is my guest today. I wanted to introduce her as a new author and hopefully bring attention to her debut novella. :) You’re so right in that you could be walking across the street and the Lord could call you home, but I always pray for those whose husbands, sons, etc. are in public service and in the military.

Oh, we LOVE excited readers, Trixi, and I certainly didn’t mean for you to apologize. I just didn’t want to mislead you. You never know who might join our “team” here at Inspy Romance. I hope you’ll have the opportunity to read Jessica’s book. Many blessings!

Thank you so much for the kind comments, Trixi. I’m overwhelmed by the support and friendship I’m finding here at Inspy Romance. You’re 100% right about walking across the street and possibly being called home by the Lord. I don’t want to spoil the story so I’ll be vague when I say the I think the lesson that Avery learns in The Trust Charm is one to which we can all relate to some degree. I know I can. Thank you again for your kind comments. Go Packers!

Linda, always glad to see you here as a friend and an encourager of the authors at Inspy Romance! If you haven’t already read Jessica’s book, I hope you’ll take the opportunity to do so! Blessings to you.

You are right in that Jessica’s book does indeed pack quite a lot. Warning: have tissues on hand. God’s love is prevalent throughout her story and Jessica takes her reader through quite the journey to get to the happy ending. Well worth the journey, though, and I hope you’ll have the opportunity to read her book. Thanks for visiting Inspy Romance, and many blessings to you.

Thank you so much! I’m flattered. This story came from a passionate place in my heart. I don’t mind admitting to you guys that I’ve never been through these experiences, personally. But that hasn’t stopped my heart from fearing them. So in writing, a lot of these words came by the grace of God, and at times I was writing purely by the hand of Jesus (as we know He HAS been through these experiences with each and every one of His children.) When I published, I was told by a few different people that certain parts of my story fell in line with their own experiences in love, loss, and trust.

Although my name is on the front of the book, I’d like to say that He is actually the author and I’m merely the writer. If you get a chance to read it and you like the emotion spilling through the pages of this novella, you might enjoy my next book which includes comedy, tragedy, secrets, two characters whose broken hearts make a whole, and a deep spiritual message that the King is still whispering in my ear as I write. Thank you for commenting!

Alyse, I LOVE that you shared that! I am selective in even my Christian fiction choices, b/c I like them to be more than just a clean read. I want to know that the author’s heart is filled with the love of Jesus and that their words are divinely inspired. Thank you so much for your transparency.

This story sounds wonderful!! Anytime I’m looking to download a new book, I always check this site for suggested titles. Now I have another author to go check out!! Thanks for all the hardwork you all put into this site!!

Thank you so much, Mandi. If you get a chance to read The Trust Charm, I hope you enjoy it!

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